With a heavy heart and a sense of defeat, Isabelle gathered her belongings and slowly made her way out of the penthouse. The weight of her luggage was nothing compared to the emotional burden she carried in her heart. Her heavy footsteps echoed through the late night as she walked out of the garage. She had decided not to take the documents he had given her, it was like an insult to the remaining dignity she had left.
By the roadside, she scrolled through her phone, searching for a number she could call to help her. Her eyes landed on her mother’s phone number, deliberating on whether to dial it or call someone else. She chose the latter- Rachael was the next name that came up and the right person to call. She hadn’t seen her since the time of her accident, but that wasn’t the problem now.
“Hello,” the voice on the other end spoke hesitantly, very low.
“Hi! Rachael”Isabelle greeted with a cracking voice that put Rachael on high alert.
“Are you okay?.. you don’t sound too good”Rachael asked, her voice laced with concern. “Do you need anything?”
Isabelle was silent for a moment before responding. “I urgently need a place to stay, like right now”
“I don’t understand. What happened to your penthouse?” Rachael asked with confusion in her voice. “Shouldn’t you be with Liam?”
“The penthouse is not mine” Isabelle replied curtly and asked, “Haven’t you seen the news?”
“What news?… I’ve been in bed all day, I didn’t even go to work” Rachael replied with a serious tone in her voice.
“You know what?… Why don’t you come to meet me at the cafe we often visit?… I’ll be waiting for you”Isabelle suggested, earnestly waiting to hear a positive answer.
“Oh! Okay”Rachael reluctantly agreed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“You’ll know when you get to the cafe” Isabelle replied before hanging up on the call. She gently pushed her luggage forward, trailing after it with a solemn expression on her face.
****
“Gina, where have you been all this while?” Damien asked, his voice laced with worry and his eyes flashing with concern. “I haven’t seen you for the past two days, is everything alright?”
“Yes, my darling Damien. You have nothing to be worried about”Gina replied, with an air of pride, her voice more confident and vibrant than it was in her youthful days. “I’ve missed you too”
Damien could sense the change in her countenance and couldn’t help but sense the feeling of unease in his heart. He cautiously asked her, “Are you sure everything is alright?”
Gina chuckled in a strange manner that made the hair of Damien’s body stand. “I’m alright. Just needed a little rest” she replied but truthfully, she had been thinking of what to do and thought it was best to resume her medication instead of isolating herself and missing out on the good things that were about to happen.
“So, tell me what’s the recent update?” she asked, her voice unusually joyful as she sat on the sofa in Damien’s office. “What did I miss?”
Damien was stunned by her carefree attitude, wondering if she hadn’t seen the news about her daughter’s recent scandal. His voice was cautious as he spoke. “Did you see the news?… I mean your daughter was involved in yet another scandal, confirming our assumptions that she had had an affair with Max, Liam’s cousin”
Gina burst into laughter suddenly. “I saw it and so what?…. It’s her life, she’s matured enough to take care of the ups and downs in her life, I can’t be watching over her like she’s a child” Her voice was nonchalant and disdainful.
Damien was taken aback by Gina’s new but strange attitude. In the past, she had always shown a tiny bit of concern for her daughter but today was different, she acted like she never birthed a child. A sudden feeling of foreboding rose in his heart as he stared intently at her, his gaze wary.
“So, you’re not bothered?… She would never be able to move freely in town and the Liam I know who has done the unimaginable”Damien probed further. Although he felt happy she felt no more connection with her daughter, his heart was still unsettled but he decided to leave the matter for now.
“Damien, she has her life to live and I have mine. Just let her be”Gina replied with a dismissed tone in her voice. She was enjoying her gradual change and was starting to feel grateful to herself for stopping her medication a long time ago. “Let’s talk about something else like how the current situation can help us achieve our goal… I’m quite sure Liam Callahan I devastated by the news. His cousin did him dirty”
“Well, you’re right. I thought we would have to wait a little longer for an opportunity but this one came early and at the right time. We must commend those two for their hard work” Damien replied, an evil smile curved on his lips, throwing Gina’s change in attitude at the back of his mind.
Gina also smiled triumphantly,” So, how do we use it to our advantage?” She asked, her eyes flashing with an interesting glint.
“Liam messed up on a very important day for the second time, especially something crucial like launching a project… I’m sure the investors in his company are starting to doubt his capabilities” Damien explained with excitement in his voice. “I’m going to organize a meeting with every one of them and convince them to withdraw from his company, till he loses all his backers”
“That’s a great idea” Gina pouted in amazement, her eyes flashing with admiration. “So, when you we get started?.. I’m good at convincing people”
Damien was caught off guard by the eerie smile on her face but quickly composed himself and responded. “We are starting immediately before Liam gets back on his feet. But first, we need someone who would feed us with firsthand information”
“What about Rachael?” Gina blurted out. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her today, is she okay?”
“She didn’t come to the office today, when did you start to care about her?” Damien asked with a baffled expression on his face.
“I just thought she might be useful” Gina responded
“You’re right, I should inform her about our plans”Damien evasively agreed, if only he knew how mentally unstable she was at the moment.